For the third year in a row, the University of Michigan hosted an event to encourage women to share their abortion stories – if they support abortion, that is.
The purpose of the Abortion Speak Out event on Thursday was “to make abortion a less taboo topic,” according to the 1 in 3 Campaign, which helped to host the event on campus.
“I thought it was very powerful and I’m so grateful that all of these people were so brave and able to share their stories,” student Kelsey Almony, a member of Students for Choice, told The Michigan Daily. “And I hope that other spaces can be created like this for other people to share their stories.”
The student organizers did not allow recording or social media during the event, and set up microphones in the back of the room to protect individuals’ identities, according to the report. The organizers only allowed students who had abortions to speak, the report states.
Many of the students, approximately 300 in attendance, told the newspaper that they came because of the recent scandal involving Planned Parenthood’s abortion practices. Undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress show top Planned Parenthood officials haggling over the price of aborted babies’ body parts and admitting that they change the abortion procedure to harvest their parts. Several Congressional investigations into Planned Parenthood are on-going.
Nikki Yadon, a junior, called the efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, “a bunch of political propaganda.”
According to the report: “Many who shared their stories hoped to convey the various aspects of going through an abortion and the importance of having a right to choose. Others said they hoped sharing their stories would help them feel more at peace, as well as educate those in attendance — a key goal of the event.”
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The 1 in 3 Campaign aims to “end the stigma and shame women are made to feel about abortion” by stressing that one in three women will have an abortion during her lifetime (a statistic disputed by the pro-life movement).
The abortion lobby tries desperately to normalize abortion by highlighting women’s “positive” abortion stories through events like the one at the University of Michigan. At the same time, abortion advocates try to silence the many women who profoundly regret aborting their unborn children.
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign, a pro-life organization, has documented thousands of stories by women and men who regret their abortion experiences.
“Sadly, many self-identified feminists who see themselves as advocating for the health, welfare and empowerment of women deny the lived reality of thousands of women after abortion,” Janet Morana, co-founder of Silent No More, said when the pro-abortion 1 in 3 Campaign began in 2013. “These campaigns to normalize and affirm a woman’s abortion experience fail to acknowledge that for many women, abortion can be an experience that has a negative impact on their lives.”
Here are just a few of the stories the media refuse to share:
- “Please understand the horror of getting an abortion. It’s not a procedure to fix an illness; it’s to end a life. It’s not all going to go away, you will think about it for the rest of your life. It will haunt you.” – Jenna, Indiana
- “The cold, dark, heart-breaking experience at the abortion clinic slowly infiltrated every area of my life. It’s so ironic that the abortion clinic tells you how quick and safe the procedure is but never mentions that the effects are destructive and will last a lifetime.” – Katie, Indiana
- “I had an abortion; it was my choice. I regret it.” – Erica, Illinois
- “I’m living proof that you never get over an abortion. Every time someone dies or I see a couple struggling to become pregnant, I’m reminded of how precious life is. If I can offer one bit of advice to a young woman in a similar situation to mine, it’s don’t have an abortion. You’ll regret it the rest of your life, just like I have.” – Debbie, Montana
- “If I could do it over, I would have kept her … I will never forget what a horrible decision I made at the time, and I will never forget that I killed my little girl, my only girl.” – Young, Alabama
- “To my precious baby: I will not forget you. I never have. You were always here hidden in my heart. I will not hide you anymore. I love you. To say that I am sorry doesn’t seem to be enough. I will never forget you! Your life does matter. I know that you are with Jesus in His Kingdom, and I will see you one day. Love, Mom” – Joanne, New York
